Some Soccer News for Fri Sep 21, 2012

STARTERS

Mark you calendar: Tuesday October 2 - The Dark Clouds present the Annual Minnesota Stars Post Season Awards Ceremony, Banquet and Silent Auction.

dN

Episode 12 of the du Nord Futbol Show podcast is now available for your listening pleasure!
In this episode we cover Jozy "The Big Friendly Altidore, lots of MLS news, the UEFA Champions League (professing our love to Jose Mourinho), the NASL Playoffs, lots of Euro-centric news, and introduce The Tottenham Minute.

STORY OF THE DAY

Ah, and there is the other shoe dropping..... MLS has suspended New York forward Thierry Henry for 1 game for violent conduct toward Kansas City forward Kei Kamara.
-See yesterday's post for the full story.
-Here is words and video from the league on the incident.

MINNESOTA STARS FC

Stars result from this game will let them know if they are the #5 or #6 seed for the playoffs.

Matches + Scores:
-Sun Sep 23 San Antonio Scorpions v Minnesota Stars
Venue: Heroes Stadium

The playoffs start Sat Sep 29, with the Stars playing Round One (single game) on the road. They can finish no higher than #5 so they will play at #3 or #4 depending on the final standings.

TASTIEST MLS GAME OF THE WEEK

The biggest game of the weekend is Seattle v San Jose on Saturday night.
-And Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America reminds us why this game could be a doozy!

BIG EUROPEAN CLUB MATCHES COMING UP THIS WEEK

-Sat Sep 22
Schalke v Bayern Munchen
-Sun Sep 22
Liverpool v Manchester United
Manchester City v Arsenal

DU NORD AT THE CONTROLS

du Nord at the Controls - Tue Sep 18, 2012 - new music mix at Spotify.

CONCACHAMPIONS 2012-13

Jose Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle with a match report on the Dynamo's dominant win.

dN

ADV:(1) Seattle

OUT:(9) Chorrillo, FAS, Puerto Rico, Aguila, Marathon, Tauro, W Connection, Real Esteli, Caledonia AIA

dN

Matches + Scores:
-Tue Sep 18
Tauro 0-1 Real Salt Lake - RSL goal by Alvaro Saborio(PK).
Xelaju 3-2 W Connection - Xel goals by K Cupid(OG), Israel Silva + Fredy Santiago. WC goals by Rennie Britto + Joevin Jones.
Real Esteli 1-1 Tigres UANL - RE goal by Juan Barrera. Tig goal by Jorge Espericueta.
-Wed Sep 19
Puerto Rico Islanders 0-0 LA Galaxy
Aguila 0-4 Santos Laguna - SL goals by Jesus Escobar(2), Aaron Galindo + Marc Crosas(PK).
Marathon 2-3 Seattle Sounders - Mar goals by Mario Berrios(2 via PK). SS goals by Sammy Ochoa, Eddie Johnson + Brad Evans.
-Thu Sep 20
Houston Dynamo 4-0 FAS - HD goals by Giles Barnes, Bobby Boswell, Cam Weaver + Calen Carr.
Municipal 2-1 Chorrillo - Mun goals by Mario Rodriguez + Leandro Barrios. Cho goal by Renan Addles.

All games are shown on the internet at CONCACAF TV.

dN

Standings:
Group 1
9 Santos Laguna(+11)
3 Toronto(+2)
OUT-0 Aguila(-13)
Group 2
6 Real Salt Lake(+2)
6 Herediano(+2)
OUT-0 Tauro(-4)
Group 3
7 Houston Dynamo(+6)
4 Olimpia(+3)
OUT-0 FAS(-5)
Group 4
ADV-9 Seattle Sounders(+5)
OUT-1 Marathon(-1)
OUT-1 Caledonia AIA(-4)
Group 5
7 LA Galaxy(+7)
3 Metapan(-1)
OUT-1 Puerto Rico Islanders(-6)
Group 6
5 Tigres UANL(+4)
4 Alajuelense(+1)
OUT-1 Real Esteli(-5)
Group 7
6 Monterrey(+6)
6 Municipal(+1)
OUT-0 Chorrillo(-7)
Group 8
7 Xelaju(+2)
3 Guadalajara(+3)
OUT-1 W Connection(-5)

PRICELESS

Some times its fun to read non-soccer people trying to explain why the way things are....

Reeves Wiedeman of the New Yorker looks at why the Red Bulls draw so poorly.

Yeah, I know, but just think about this, it could be a lot worse written. And luckily we don't see nearly as many of these as we used to.

WELL WELL WELL

Brian Sciaretta of the New York Times writes about the player who in my opinion has become the American breakout player of 2012 - Graham Zusi.

Did you know he did stunt double work for Roger Federer?

OOF

Ben Rycroft of the CBC with more on attempted match fixing from Croatians that went down in Canada over the past few years. A gloriously inept ending.

THIS IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT

Brian Straus of Sporting News looks at Sporting Kansas City's long term plan for success on and off the field.

MLS MATCHES AND SCORES

WEEK 29

Matches + Scores:
-Wed Sep 19
New York Red Bulls 0-2 Sporting Kansas City - SKC goals by CJ Sapong + Kei Kamara
Venue: Red Bull Arena
Atten: 10,286
Columbus Crew 1-0 CD Chivas USA - CC goal by Justin Meram.
Venue: Crew Stadium
Atten: 13,874
San Jose Earthquakes 2-2 Portland Timbers - SJE goals both by Chris Wondolowski. PT goals both by Danny Mwanga.
Venue: Buck Shaw Stadium
Atten: 9,877
-Thu Sep 20
Philadelphia Union 0-1 DC United - DCU goal by Lionard Pajoy.
Venue: PPL Park
Atten: 16,024
-Sat Sep 22
Montreal Impact v Sporting Kansas City - 12:00PM CT
Venue: Saputo Stadium
New England Revolution v New York Red Bulls - 6:30PM CT
Venue: Gillette Stadium
Real Salt Lake v Portland Timbers - 7:00PM CT on NBCSN
Venue: Rio Tinto Stadium
Chicago Fire FC v Columbus Crew - 7:30PM CT
Venue: Toyota Park
Seattle Sounders FC v San Jose Earthquakes - 9:30PM CT
Venue: CenturyLink Field
LA Galaxy v Toronto FC - 9:30PM CT
Venue: The Home Depot Center
-Sun Sep 23
Philadelphia Union v Houston Dynamo - 3:00PM CT
Venue: PPL Park
DC United v CD Chivas USA - 6:00PM CT on Galavision
Venue: RFK Stadium
Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Colorado Rapids - 6:30PM CT
Venue: BC Place

Dallas has a buy this week.

MLS MATCH NOTES

Before last night DC had lost 6 consecutive road games, going back to the last time they played in Philly on Jun 16 which they also won 0-1.

dN

And wouldn't you know it, a player returns to his former club and makes them pay with a goal - Lionard Pajoy did it for DC last night against he Union who traded him away in mid-August.

MLS STANDINGS

In the East:
DC yo-yos right back over Columbus and back into the play off spots, into 4th place ahead of Houston.

EAST
54 Sporting Kansas City (37GF/29GP)
50 Chicago Fire SC (40GF/28GP)
49 New York Red Bulls (49GF/29GP)
47 DC United (46GF/29GP)
46 Houston Dynamo (41GF/29GP)
-----
45 Columbus Crew (35GF/29GP)
39 Montreal Impact (44GF/30GP)
@28 New England Revolution (36GF/29P)
27 Philadelphia Union (26GF/27GP)
@22 Toronto FC (32GF/29GP)
WEST
*57 San Jose Earthquakes (60GF/29GP)
48 Seattle Sounders FC (44GF/28GP)
46 LA Galaxy (50GF/29GP)
46 Real Salt Lake (38GF/29GP)
37 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (29GF/29GP)
-----
36 FC Dallas (35GF/30GP)
29 Colorado Rapids (36GF/29GP)
29 Portland Timbers (30GF/29GP)
28 CD Chivas USA (21GF/28GP)
-(Goals For/Games Played)

* clinched a playoff berth.
@ eliminated from the playoff race

The first tie breaker is goals scored.

MLS TEAM AND PLAYER NEWS

CHICAGO FIRE

New signing Guillermo Franco has received his work permit and is available for selection this weekend.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

Andrew Lewellen of Grantland with an article on new signing and one time prodigy Marcus Tracy.

TORONTO FC

Eric Hassli is out with an ankle injury that is going to get a more thorough examination by a doctor after failing to respond to treatment.

MLS STADIUMS

An article on a potential stadium for the New England Revolution in Revere which is on the north side of Boston proper, and right on the water.
-Thanks to SF for the link.

NASL SCOREBOARD

The playoff seeds will all be determined by this last round of games.

Matches + Scores:
-Sat Sep 22
Carolina RailHawks v Tampa Bay Rowdies
Puerto Rico Islanders v Atlanta Silverbacks
-Sun Sep 23
FC Edmonton v Fort Lauderdale Strikers
San Antonio Scorpions v Minnesota Stars
END OF REGULAR SEASON

Watch online

Standings
**46 San Antonio (+18)
**44 Tampa Bay (+7)
*40 Puerto Rico (+2)
*39 Carolina (-2)
*35 Fort Lauderdale (-6)
*34 Minnesota (+1)
-----
24 Edmonton (-10)
29 Atlanta (-10)
*Clinched Playoff Berth
**Clinched 1st Round Buy


FIFA U17 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

Being held in Azerbaijan.
-The country sits on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea and on the northern border of Iran.

The USA is in the tournament and here are there initial games:

Group Stage
Matches & Scores: -Sat Sep 22
France v USA
-Tue Sep 25
USA v Gambia
-Sat Sep 29
USA v N Korea

dN

Group Stage
Matches & Scores: -Sat Sep 22
Azerbaijan v Colombia
Nigeria v Canada
France v USA
N Korea v Gambia
-Sun Sep 23
Mexico v New Zealand
Brazil v Japan
Uruguay v China
Ghana v Germany
-Tue Sep 25
Azerbaijan v Nigeria
Colombia v Canada
France v N Korea
USA v Gambia
-Wed Sep 26
Mexico v Brazil
New Zealand v Japan
Uruguay v Ghana
China v Germany
-Sat Sep 29
Canada v Azerbaijan
Colombia v Nigeria
Gambia v France
USA v N Korea
-Sun Sep 30
Japan v Mexico
New Zealand v Brazil
Germany v Uruguay
China v Ghana

dN

Knock Out Stage

Quarterfinals
-Thu Oct 4
A1 v B2
B1 v A2
-Fri Oct 5
C1 v D2
D1 v C2

Semifinals
-Tue Oct 9
A1/B2 v C1/D2
B1/A2 v D1/C2

Final
-Sat Oct 13
Winners

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Brian Sciaretta of Yanks Abroad has reported that Robbie Findley was sent out on loan by Nottingham Forest to Gillingham in League Two (4th division) for 1 month.

dN

LIGA MX
Apertura - Round 9 of 17
Matches + Scores:
-Fri Sep 21
Puebla v Leon
Morelia v Tigres UANL
-Sat Sep 22
Cruz Azul v America
Santos Laguna v Jaguares
Monterrey v Queretaro
San Luis v Pachuca
Tijuana v Atlas
-Sun Sep 23
Toluca v Atlante
Guadalajara v Pumas UNAM

BIG PIMPIN

Its the 15th Anniversary of the birth of the Chicago Fire Soccer club!

Get your commemorative scarf right here!

"This scarf celebrates the Club’s fifteenth anniversary on October 8th 2012 and honors the team’s heroes over those 15 years. It is available in a strictly limited quantity."